The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-06
HOW7THE CHIN ESEFIGHT,
TRANGEsMILITARY METHODS AND,
CUSTOMS OF THE CELEspIALs. !

Three Men Carry Flags While One
Carries Gun-The Uniforms and Ar
naments of the Soldiery- ,ooo.-
900 Invested in Krupp Guns on the
Canton River-How Offenders Are
Executed-The Introduction of Tele-
phones.
The Indianapolis Journal says: Lieut..
James w. Graydon, who was for some time
in China was asked by reporter yesterday
as to the military establishment of that
country. "The biblical quotation as ter
rible as an army with banners" said the
Lieutenant, 'could apply with special force
to China. l ate dinner one day while was
there with the Viceroy of the Province of
Canton. He asked me during the repast
what would recommend for the better
ment of his army. Out of every set of fours
three men carry flags and only one gun.
That's fact; SO l told him through the in
terpreter would take away the flags, ex-
cept one for every thousand men, and each
evening at dress parade and each morning |
would have them, kneel down and swear to
defend that one flag, that 1 could recon-
mend him to put repeating rifles in the
hands of all the men who had formerly
carried flags, and that Lieut.. Graydon have
the contract for furnishing the rifles. My
suggestion tickled the Viceroy greatly. The
Black Flags in Tonquin, OF whom YOU heard
so much awhile ago, carry large black flags
with a Chinese character in white letters in
the centre, indicating the section of country
they come trOm.'
& listener was Of opinion that it was
Il n4c,,<, ID
crates were not so well provided with ban
ners as the Chinese. Otherwise the Cleve-
land order for the return of captured bunt-
inc would have created even more indigna-
ton.
The Lieutenant laughed at this suggestion,
and continued:
THE Chinese on the Canton river have
S12 900 invested in the best krupp guns
mounted in their forts. They are beginning
to pick up in the use of artillery. They have
foreigners, chiefly Europeans, as instructors,
and they are quick to learn. The Viceroy
Of province is about the same in the nation
relatively as to rank as Governor of one of
our States to the General Government of the
United States. But the Viceroy is a great
pOtentate He has his own army and navy.
The Chinese, In addition to Krupp guns,
lave men of-war better than in the United
States havy.
IIlS VI lLG CullltS0 SOIOll6I WOull
hardly be considered military in any civil
lied country. 1t is loose costume, much
like the Chinese wear in this country, eX-
cept that the symbol that represents the
body of ttoops to which the individual
soldier belongs is placed on the front of the
tunic and on the back so that the badge
of the brigade to which they belong can be
seen whether they advance or retreat Off
GERS wear the same badge and the same kind
Of hot 10 Of
and is very gorgeous. The guns carried by
the Chinese are RemingtOns, Springfields,
the Manser, German rifle, and some of
the Berdan rifles the same as used by the
Russians. They are all mixed up as to small
arms and buy their cartridges chiefly in
Europe They have a battery of Calling
guns for each brigade, and these Cuttings
they make themselves. Years ago Mr..
Cabling sent an agent to China with two
pieces to make contracts. The Chinese in
sisted on buying those two pieces and the
agent sold them. They never wanted to buy
any more. Those initiative people with those
two as models so injudiciously disposed of
by Mr.. Gatling's agent, have fully supplied
themselves Every mandarin who has a
steam yacht has at least two Gatlings on
his craft and they are as good as the sample.
They are not yet equal to making shell
cartridges, however. All the forts on the
Canton river, as said, have Krupp guns
and they paid well for them. They have
Eaem from twenty ton pieces up to seventy
tons. The Chinese, when properly armed
and instructed, will make very good sol
diers.
THE Viceroy, after we had dispatched din
ner gave us what he considered great treat.
Three men were to be executed and he in
vited me and another guest to go with him
TO see the execution. We We're carried to
the place, where the poor wretches were to
be disposed Of, in sedan chairs. When we
came to the inclOsure we found three posts
abeut twenty feet apart, and at each post
was one.Of the men to be executed. Each
miserable ChiIaman was kneeling with his
cue neiIed or tied to the post high above his
head, while in his mouth he had a pipe filed
with tobacco, at which he was putting away
with awful energy. Each Of US, the Vice
roy, and his two guests were seated in front
of one of these poor fellows. was opposite
the first one to be executed as il proved.
The eXecutioner came along and showed to
the criminals three swords of strange form
and each sharp as razor. One was shaped
much hike butchers cleaver, with a larger
blade and a handle long enough for two
hands, Another was Of half-moon shape
and also with q long handle, while the third
Looked somewhat like saw, having tooth
like edge. The men to be decapitated were,
1t SeoAlS, to be allowed to choose the weapon
they preferred to die by. Two of them
chose the cleaver-lil1e blade and the other
the half moon, none of them desiring the
saw-edged knife The exccutioner, picking
up the chosen weapon, looked ct the Viceroy
who grunted something, and then quickly
swung the blade in the air. The culprit
was putting away on his pipe with might
and main. He received the stroke without
tlinching, and as his head came off it was
left dangling by the cue against the post.
The blood spurted almost to my feet.
1t was most sickening sight,
but was curious to see the effect on the
other victims. They never winked, and
smoked TO the last. Indeed, smoke curled
out OF the mouth of one of the heads after it
was detached from its trunk. | felt ex-
uemely squeamish, but the Viceroy con-
templated the execution with immense salts
faction and doubtless thought in his hos
pItaiity that he was afforhng me u great
treat. The men executed were soldiers, and
their crime was theft China has between
100000 and 100000 soldiers, | was told
When the Chinese soldier finds out that he
can kill an enemy at a long distance as well
as a foreigner, the Celestial Empire will be-
come dangerous military power, China
could overron Europe with soldiers. To
give an idea of the immense population of
That Empire, there are 100000 people
nearly as great population as we have in
The United States-who live in boats upon
the rivers.
The Chinese navy is coming on. They
nave bought of EurODeans JhirtV-fOur gun